Sitting Shiva

In many ways, the story of Job mirrors the story of Naomi. He loses everything, including all his sons and daughters and much of his great lands - and even his certainty about God’s goodness. In some ways Job had it ‘better’ in the sense that he did not lose his wife, he still retained plenty of possessions, and he was a man after all, which meant that in his culture he could still provide for himself. But still, he faced enormous suffering, and the book about him is a long reflection on what to do with such suffering.

His three friends play a big part in the story, and for the most part they do a terrible job of being his friends. Naomi has Ruth, and Ruth is a far superior comfort! But there’s one thing that Job’s friends do really right - and if they’d just stuck with it, they would have been honored by God (but instead they get all chatty and theological on Job). Here’s the part that they do tremendously well - it’s called ‘sitting shiva’ and it’s the Jewish practice of being silent for seven days with a friend who has lost a loved one.

When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights.No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was. - Job 2:12-13

What do you think it takes internally to have the strength and grace to sit shiva with someone who is mourning? Who has sat shiva with you when you’ve faced loss? Is there someone Yahweh is calling you to sit shiva with?